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Work to begin soon on new Palisade fire hall

Written by Wauneta Breeze

Thursday, 24 April 2014 00:00

Drawings for the new Palisade fire hall include four bays for emergency vehicles that will ease emergency vehicle exit from the building. It will also feature a meeting room, radio room, storage and restrooms. Construction is set to begin this week on the new building with an anticipated completion date of Oct. 15, 2014. (Courtesy Graphics | W Design Associates)

New fire hall will better fit

Palisade Fire and Rescue

needs; building expected to

be completed Oct. 15, 2014

By Sheri Hink-Wagner

The Wauneta Breeze

Palisade Fire and Rescue will soon have a new fire hall thanks to a $332,000 direct loan from the USDA’s community facilities program. C & S Construction of Grant will build the new fire hall. Construction is set to begin as early as this week and to be completed by Oct. 15, 2014.

Tom Monnahan, secretary/treasurer for the Rural Fire District, said the group has been talking about a new building for about eight years. The current building used by Palisade Fire and Rescue has grown too small for their operation. The current building houses two ambulances, two pumpers, two grass rigs, two tankers and a rescue truck currently.

Palisade Fire and Rescue keep an ambulance parked front and center so it can exit the building quickly when called. This means that when there is a fire call it is sometimes necessary to move vehicles out of the building in order to take the appropriate vehicle out.

The new 80x100-foot metal construction fire hall will allow for quicker access to emergency vehicles by Palisade Fire and Rescue members. It will also include space for a radio room, meeting room with kitchen, storage and restrooms.

The new construction will also include a concrete pad in front for rescue team members to wash vehicles. They currently have no space to wash vehicles and are forced to do so in the street. The current building will be given to the Village of Palisade.

The loan has a 40-year term with a 4.375 percent interest rate. Matching funds for the project include $75,000 from the rural fire district and a previous USDA rural development loan of $333,000. Monnahan said the balance of the loan will be paid by a bond.